This bibliography-based review paper is presented under headings - history of polychloroprene development; preparation, manufacture, and chemistry of chloroprene (acelylene route, butadiene route and alternates); polymerization of chloroprene monomer (dimerization, polymerization to high polymers, free-radical polymerization and copolymerization, commercial manufacture of polychloroprene); microstructure, stereochemistry, vulcanization and flammability of polychloroprene. Technological aspects of the commercial chloroprene polymers include - compounding and processing, curing systems, antioxidants and antiozonants, processing acids, fillers, properties of vulcanizates and their applications. Polychloroprene latexes are also considered in terms of their compounding, processing, and existing commercial grades.